Messer Construction Foundation
The Messer Construction Foundation is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It provides grants in areas including economic inclusion, education, workforce development, and environmental stewardship; applicants must be sponsored by a Messer employee.
Messer Construction Foundation at a glance
In short: Messer Construction Foundation gave $553K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $43K), mostly in Ohio. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $552,500
- +20.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -13.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $42,500
- +38.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $624,770
- -5.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Ohio (54% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Messer Construction Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Applicants must be sponsored by a Messer employee. The Foundation says applications are reviewed by a committee of Messer employees and approved by its Board of Trustees. The 2023 filing describes an application form requesting information about the organization, its mission, finances, capital need, and nonprofit certification. The Foundation’s 2024 online application cycle had a March 28 deadline; that cycle is past. The 2023 filing also states that eligible organizations must be located in one of Messer’s regions and seek investment in the stated focus areas.
- Contact
Application contact: Messer Construction Foundation
Mailing address: 643 W Court St, Cincinnati, OH 45203-1511
Phone: (513) 242-1541
Website: https://www.messer.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Messer Construction Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was UC Foundation ($150K). Together the top 10 received $535K.
Grant Size Distribution
28 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 20 grants of 28 (71%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2023 filing describes eligibility as limited to organizations located in one of Messer’s regions. Messer’s website refers to 12 regions but does not identify them in the provided information. In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio (54%), Kentucky (39%), South Carolina (5%), and Indiana (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
How Messer Construction Foundation gives
- 31% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2024 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $459K (2024) to $553K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $553K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UC Foundation Cincinnati, OH | General | $150,000 |
| Norton Healthcare Foundation Louisville, KY | General | $85,000 |
| Cincinnati Childrens Medical Center Cincinnati, OH | Ongoing Support Contribution | $70,000 |
| Americas River Roots Experience Fort Mitchell, KY | Sponsorship for Cincinnati Event | $60,000 |
| Ohio Health Foundation Columbus, OH | General | $50,000 |
| Childrens Home of Northern KY Covington, KY | Grant for capital project | $25,000 |
| Lexington Hearing Speech Center Lexington, KY | Grant for capital projects | $25,000 |
| Project HOPE Foundation Greenville, SC | Grant | $25,000 |
| Wesley House Community Center Knoxville, OH | Grant for capital project | $25,000 |
| University of Louisville Foundation Louisville, KY | General | $20,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $624,770 | $517,201 | $556,138 | $552,500 | 13 | $552,500 | — |
| 2024 | $663,707 | $506,797 | $460,806 | $459,000 | 15 | $459,000 | $36,797 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s website says it accepts applications focused on economic inclusion, education, workforce development, or environmental stewardship. Its 2023 filing describes support for organizations in those areas and says eligible organizations must be located in one of Messer’s regions.
The 2025 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. Norton Healthcare Foundation says it supports patient care, capital projects, education, and research for Norton Healthcare’s adult-service hospitals and affiliated organizations. Project HOPE Foundation says it provides autism services and works to help families, promote inclusion, and expand potential. Lexington Hearing & Speech Center says it provides educational, therapeutic, and family support services to help children with hearing and speech-language needs.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Foundation reported 13 grants totaling $552,500. Grant amounts ranged from $3,750 to $150,000, with a median of $25,000. Notable grants included $150,000 to UC Foundation, $85,000 to Norton Healthcare Foundation, $70,000 to Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center, $60,000 to Americas River Roots Experience, and $50,000 to Ohio Health Foundation.
Other 2025 recipients included Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky ($25,000), Lexington Hearing & Speech Center ($25,000), Project HOPE Foundation ($25,000), and University of Louisville Foundation ($20,000). DePauw University received $10,000 and BLOC Ministries received $3,750.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Nick Apanius as President/Trustee, and Ryan M Steinert and Matthew R Schnelle as trustees.
Messer Construction Foundation is led by Nick Apanius, President & Trustee since 2025 (on filings since 2024); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Nick Apanius
President & Trustee
President Trustee → President & Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew R Schnelle
Trustee
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ryan M Steinert
Trustee
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2024–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Messer Construction Foundation
How much does Messer Construction Foundation give each year?
Messer Construction Foundation gave $553K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $459K across 15 grants.
What is Messer Construction Foundation's typical grant size?
Messer Construction Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $42,500, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Messer Construction Foundation give grants?
Messer Construction Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Kentucky (39%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (3 grants) and Louisville, KY (2 grants).
Does Messer Construction Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 31% of Messer Construction Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Messer Construction Foundation's largest grantees?
Messer Construction Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include UC Foundation ($150,000), Norton Healthcare Foundation ($85,000) and Cincinnati Childrens Medical Center ($70,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Messer Construction Foundation?
Messer Construction Foundation reported $625K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $517K.
What does Messer Construction Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s website says it accepts applications focused on economic inclusion, education, workforce development, or environmental stewardship. Its 2023 filing describes support for organizations in those areas and says eligible organizations must be located in one of Messer’s regions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Messer Construction Foundation?
Applicants must be sponsored by a Messer employee. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Messer Construction Foundation's EIN?
Messer Construction Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0262239. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2024–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 9, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2024–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Messer Construction Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/messer-construction-foundation-morg_32003603ddac44439ecedcd802b97ee1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_200262239_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Messer Construction Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/messer-construction-foundation-morg_32003603ddac44439ecedcd802b97ee1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Messer Construction Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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